At the beginning of last December, the Australian parliament passed a law requiring telecommunications companies to provide the security apparatus (police, intelligence services, etc.) with access to encrypted information; in short, the know-how to decrypt it. “This way, our security services and police will have modern tools, under appropriate oversight, to monitor encrypted communications of those who wish to harm us,” declared Australian Attorney General Christian Porter.
The objections, both from Australian companies and users, were intense; but not effective. Objections not only for the reasons one might imagine, but also for this one: Australia, together with England, New Zealand, Canada and the USA, constitute the “security alliance” (essentially espionage) known internationally as Five Eyes. Which means that surveillance in these countries is carried out not only with “national criteria” but also following requests from allies.
It would be naive for anyone to continue believing that privacy protection against states (and not only) in the 21st century will be achieved through technical means. On the other hand, the greatest help towards generalized surveillance is the “evaporation” of the middle class social perception regarding the importance of privacy. “I have nothing to hide” is the usual motto of the average citizen, who shrugs off such developments.
But the issue was never whether someone has or doesn’t have something to hide. The issue was always the closing of roads, the limitation of state action. Now, I have nothing to hide is politically synonymous with the state loves you…